| San Diego Education Report |
| San Diego Education Report |
| SDER |
San Diego
Education Report
Education Report
| SDER |
| SDER |
| SDER |
Why This Website
Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz v. Maura
Larkins defamation
SDCOE
CVESD
Castle Park
Elementary School
Law Enforcement
CTA
CVE
Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz
Silence is Golden
Schools and Violence
Office Admin Hearings
Larkins OAH Hearing
Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz v. Maura
Larkins defamation
SDCOE
CVESD
Castle Park
Elementary School
Law Enforcement
CTA
CVE
Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz
Silence is Golden
Schools and Violence
Office Admin Hearings
Larkins OAH Hearing
Coeds Help Clear San
Diego Sex Crime
Convict's Name
Sex crime suspect Johnny
Williams served 14 years in a
San Diego prison on alleged sex
crime charges
By Lisa Fernandez
Mar 11, 2013
A judge overturned the wrongful
conviction a man put in prison
for 14 years on sex crime
charges thanks to the help of
students at Santa Clara
University's Northern California
Innocence Project who proved
that DNA on a girl's T-shirt didn't
belong to him.
Johnny Williams served his
entire stint in a San Diego
prison and was released in
January. On Friday, an Alameda
County Superior Court judge
overturned his conviction - even
after he was already a free man.
So, Williams does not get the
benefit of being released from
prison early, but his lawyers
said that his exoneration means
that his name can now be wiped
clean off the sex offender's
registry list.
The innocence project's
supervising attorney Maitreya
Badami also said Williams could
be in line for a lot of money. He
has to apply, but all eligible,
exonerated prisoners can earn
up to $100 a day for every day
they wrongly spent in prison. In
an interview with NBC Bay Area
on Monday, Badami said that
could be about $500,000, and
even though it may take a long
time to get it, Williams is
definitely a candidate for that
money.
Before his arrest 14 years ago,
Williams had no prior criminal
history.
Williams is now looking for work;
he worked at a janitor in the
Richard J. Donovan
Correctional Facility in San
Diego. And, according to
Badami, his feelings are mixed.
Badami said he feels thrilled
that people can now "simply
know that he's innocent and be
relieved of the terrible stigma."
Badami added that Williams has
also been through an ordeal
and now needs to put his life
back together.
Williams has not yet chosen to
speak publicly. But he did issue
a statement: “Something terrible
happened to that little girl and I
hope they find the person who
did it. I am thankful people
finally know the truth about me
so that I can rebuild my life."
This is the second innocent
person the innocence project at
Santa Clara County has
exonerated in this year, and its
16th victory since its creation in
2001. The class at Santa Clara
University also helped free
Ronald Ross, 51, who was
convicted in 2006 for an
attempted murder, and was
released at the end of
February, when the judge
dismissed the case.
“We are thrilled the state has
recognized Johnny’s innocence
and cleared his name,” said
Linda Starr, the legal director
for the Northern California
Innocence Project. “Thus, in
cases relying almost exclusively
on eyewitnesses, we’ve learned
that DNA evidence is the only
way to conclusively prove
innocence.”
Added his other attorney,
Melissa Dag O'Connell: “To be
convicted of such a terrible
crime and spend 14 years in
prison, labeled a sex offender,
is a nightmare most people
could never imagine. Without
DNA evidence, we would not
have been able to prove his
innocence.”
On Sept, 28, 1998, a man who
called himself “Johnny” sexually
accosted a 9-year-old girl as
she walked home from school.
The next day, while walking in
the same area, the same man
attempted to rape her.
Williams was a former neighbor
of the girl and familiar with her
family. When the girl first
reported the assault she did not
say she knew the attacker,
which suggested a stranger.
However, people who knew the
girl suggested to police that
“Johnny” may be Williams,
according to the Innocence
Project.
One week after the attack,
Oakland police collected the
clothes the girl was wearing
during the assault. Forensic
tests at the time of trial were
unable to confirm biological
evidence and no DNA testing
was performed. On June 8,
2000, Williams was convicted of
two counts of forcible lewd
conduct against a child and one
count of attempted rape.
Last year, the Northern
California Innocence Project,
with the assistance of California
DNA Project, re-tested the girl’s
T-shirt. Investigators found
enough biological material to
yield a complete male DNA
profile that conclusively
excluded Williams as the
perpetrator. According to
Badami, while the results
showed the DNA to belong to a
man, that man's DNA was not in
any criminal database to
compare it to.
Williams’ exoneration was made
possible by a grant which paid
for the costs of retesting, which
the innocence project wanted to
highlight and add that the
funding, unfortunately, is set to
expire in September.
Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.
com/news/local/Santa-Clara-
University-Students-Help-Clear-
San-Diego-Convict-Johnny-
Williams-Name-197156231.
html#ixzz2NYzUPkfK
Diego Sex Crime
Convict's Name
Sex crime suspect Johnny
Williams served 14 years in a
San Diego prison on alleged sex
crime charges
By Lisa Fernandez
Mar 11, 2013
A judge overturned the wrongful
conviction a man put in prison
for 14 years on sex crime
charges thanks to the help of
students at Santa Clara
University's Northern California
Innocence Project who proved
that DNA on a girl's T-shirt didn't
belong to him.
Johnny Williams served his
entire stint in a San Diego
prison and was released in
January. On Friday, an Alameda
County Superior Court judge
overturned his conviction - even
after he was already a free man.
So, Williams does not get the
benefit of being released from
prison early, but his lawyers
said that his exoneration means
that his name can now be wiped
clean off the sex offender's
registry list.
The innocence project's
supervising attorney Maitreya
Badami also said Williams could
be in line for a lot of money. He
has to apply, but all eligible,
exonerated prisoners can earn
up to $100 a day for every day
they wrongly spent in prison. In
an interview with NBC Bay Area
on Monday, Badami said that
could be about $500,000, and
even though it may take a long
time to get it, Williams is
definitely a candidate for that
money.
Before his arrest 14 years ago,
Williams had no prior criminal
history.
Williams is now looking for work;
he worked at a janitor in the
Richard J. Donovan
Correctional Facility in San
Diego. And, according to
Badami, his feelings are mixed.
Badami said he feels thrilled
that people can now "simply
know that he's innocent and be
relieved of the terrible stigma."
Badami added that Williams has
also been through an ordeal
and now needs to put his life
back together.
Williams has not yet chosen to
speak publicly. But he did issue
a statement: “Something terrible
happened to that little girl and I
hope they find the person who
did it. I am thankful people
finally know the truth about me
so that I can rebuild my life."
This is the second innocent
person the innocence project at
Santa Clara County has
exonerated in this year, and its
16th victory since its creation in
2001. The class at Santa Clara
University also helped free
Ronald Ross, 51, who was
convicted in 2006 for an
attempted murder, and was
released at the end of
February, when the judge
dismissed the case.
“We are thrilled the state has
recognized Johnny’s innocence
and cleared his name,” said
Linda Starr, the legal director
for the Northern California
Innocence Project. “Thus, in
cases relying almost exclusively
on eyewitnesses, we’ve learned
that DNA evidence is the only
way to conclusively prove
innocence.”
Added his other attorney,
Melissa Dag O'Connell: “To be
convicted of such a terrible
crime and spend 14 years in
prison, labeled a sex offender,
is a nightmare most people
could never imagine. Without
DNA evidence, we would not
have been able to prove his
innocence.”
On Sept, 28, 1998, a man who
called himself “Johnny” sexually
accosted a 9-year-old girl as
she walked home from school.
The next day, while walking in
the same area, the same man
attempted to rape her.
Williams was a former neighbor
of the girl and familiar with her
family. When the girl first
reported the assault she did not
say she knew the attacker,
which suggested a stranger.
However, people who knew the
girl suggested to police that
“Johnny” may be Williams,
according to the Innocence
Project.
One week after the attack,
Oakland police collected the
clothes the girl was wearing
during the assault. Forensic
tests at the time of trial were
unable to confirm biological
evidence and no DNA testing
was performed. On June 8,
2000, Williams was convicted of
two counts of forcible lewd
conduct against a child and one
count of attempted rape.
Last year, the Northern
California Innocence Project,
with the assistance of California
DNA Project, re-tested the girl’s
T-shirt. Investigators found
enough biological material to
yield a complete male DNA
profile that conclusively
excluded Williams as the
perpetrator. According to
Badami, while the results
showed the DNA to belong to a
man, that man's DNA was not in
any criminal database to
compare it to.
Williams’ exoneration was made
possible by a grant which paid
for the costs of retesting, which
the innocence project wanted to
highlight and add that the
funding, unfortunately, is set to
expire in September.
Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.
com/news/local/Santa-Clara-
University-Students-Help-Clear-
San-Diego-Convict-Johnny-
Williams-Name-197156231.
html#ixzz2NYzUPkfK
False accusations; Innocence Project
False police report in Chula
Vista Elementary School District/
California Teachers Association /
Richard Werlin / Robin Donlan case
Vista Elementary School District/
California Teachers Association /
Richard Werlin / Robin Donlan case
Innocence Project (Role Model
Lawyers Blog)
Innocence Project (Law
Enforcement Blog)
Innocence Project (SDER)
Lawyers Blog)
Innocence Project (Law
Enforcement Blog)
Innocence Project (SDER)
Blog posts
Web pages
Couple cleared of
daughter's death attend
church
CHRISTOPHER WEBER
Associated Press
December 7, 2014
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — An
American couple detained in
Qatar before being cleared in the
death of their 8-year-old
daughter attended a church
service in Southern California
where worshippers greeted them
with a standing ovation.
Matthew and Grace Huang were
called to the dais at the Lake
Avenue Church in Pasadena
shortly after the 9 a.m. service
began. The couple stood in front
of the congregation hugging their
two surviving children amid
sustained claps and cheers.
Matthew Huang briefly addressed
the congregation, saying he was
thankful to be home.
"The situation the past two years
has been extremely difficult," he
said. "It has taught us patience."
The Huangs gained international
attention when Qatari authorities
arrested them in January 2013 on
charges of starving their African-
born daughter, Gloria, to death.
The couple, who are of Asian
descent, had adopted Gloria in
Ghana when she was 4 years old,
and are the parents of two other
adopted, African-born children.
The Huangs spent nearly a year
in jail and were convicted of child
endangerment. An appeals court
judge overturned their conviction
last week and said they could
leave Qatar.
Throughout the case, the family's
representatives expressed
concern that there were cultural
misunderstandings underpinning
the charges against the couple in
a nation where Western-style
adoptions and cross-cultural
families are relatively rare.
An initial police report raised
questions about why the couple
would adopt children who did not
share their "hereditary traits."
Prosecutors said the couple
denied food to their daughter and
locked her in her room at night.
The Huangs said Gloria suffered
from medical problems
complicated by an eating disorder
that was the result of her
impoverished early years in Africa.
The Huangs spent several
months behind bars before their
case was heard for the first time
in November 2013.
The couple and their children
moved to Qatar in 2012 after
Matthew Huang was hired to work
as an engineer as part of
preparations for the 2022 World
Cup in Doha.
daughter's death attend
church
CHRISTOPHER WEBER
Associated Press
December 7, 2014
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — An
American couple detained in
Qatar before being cleared in the
death of their 8-year-old
daughter attended a church
service in Southern California
where worshippers greeted them
with a standing ovation.
Matthew and Grace Huang were
called to the dais at the Lake
Avenue Church in Pasadena
shortly after the 9 a.m. service
began. The couple stood in front
of the congregation hugging their
two surviving children amid
sustained claps and cheers.
Matthew Huang briefly addressed
the congregation, saying he was
thankful to be home.
"The situation the past two years
has been extremely difficult," he
said. "It has taught us patience."
The Huangs gained international
attention when Qatari authorities
arrested them in January 2013 on
charges of starving their African-
born daughter, Gloria, to death.
The couple, who are of Asian
descent, had adopted Gloria in
Ghana when she was 4 years old,
and are the parents of two other
adopted, African-born children.
The Huangs spent nearly a year
in jail and were convicted of child
endangerment. An appeals court
judge overturned their conviction
last week and said they could
leave Qatar.
Throughout the case, the family's
representatives expressed
concern that there were cultural
misunderstandings underpinning
the charges against the couple in
a nation where Western-style
adoptions and cross-cultural
families are relatively rare.
An initial police report raised
questions about why the couple
would adopt children who did not
share their "hereditary traits."
Prosecutors said the couple
denied food to their daughter and
locked her in her room at night.
The Huangs said Gloria suffered
from medical problems
complicated by an eating disorder
that was the result of her
impoverished early years in Africa.
The Huangs spent several
months behind bars before their
case was heard for the first time
in November 2013.
The couple and their children
moved to Qatar in 2012 after
Matthew Huang was hired to work
as an engineer as part of
preparations for the 2022 World
Cup in Doha.
Jun 27 2015
How Anthony Graves Went from Death Row to
Overseeing the Houston Crime Lab
by Jon Schuppe
NBC News
Anthony Graves was named to the board of the Houston Forensic Science
Center. He was convicted for the 1992 killings of six people. But he was
later exonerated. Pat Sullivan / AP
A few weeks ago, Anthony Graves began hearing rumors that he was under
consideration for a spot on the Houston Forensic Science Center's board of
directors — a post that would put him in a position to help the city prevent
wrongful convictions.
Wrongful convictions like the one that put him on death row.
The simple fact that he was being considered for the job was another form
of vindication for Graves, who was exonerated in the murders of six people
and released from a Texas prison five years ago.
Watch Weekend Nightly News at 6:30 tonight for more on this story
Since then, Graves has been traveling the country telling his story, urging
people to press for reforms to the criminal justice system — including the
death penalty.
"I was excited about the opportunity because it lines up with the work I
already do," Graves, 49, told NBC News.
Anthony Graves
Anthony Graves was named to the board of the Houston Forensic Science
Center. He was convicted for the 1992 killings of six people. But he was
later exonerated. Pat Sullivan / AP
That appointment, submitted by Houston Mayor Anise Parker, became
official on Wednesday, when the Houston City Council voted to put him on
the nine-member board, which has replaced the scandal-plagued Houston
Crime Lab.
"Because I was wrongfully convicted, and I know how the system failed, this
appointment allows me to bring a fresh perspective to the board, because I
can tell you about the pitfalls," Graves said.
Graves spent 18 years in prison and was twice given an execution date.
The state wanted to retry him, but the case fell apart, and in 2010 Graves
was released — a free man at long last.
At the same time, the Houston Crime lab was reeling from revelations of
systemic malfeasance. In 2013, Parker and the city council created the
Houston Forensic Science Center, overseen by an independent board of
directors, to take over the $24 million-a-year lab's operations.
How Anthony Graves Went from Death Row to
Overseeing the Houston Crime Lab
by Jon Schuppe
NBC News
Anthony Graves was named to the board of the Houston Forensic Science
Center. He was convicted for the 1992 killings of six people. But he was
later exonerated. Pat Sullivan / AP
A few weeks ago, Anthony Graves began hearing rumors that he was under
consideration for a spot on the Houston Forensic Science Center's board of
directors — a post that would put him in a position to help the city prevent
wrongful convictions.
Wrongful convictions like the one that put him on death row.
The simple fact that he was being considered for the job was another form
of vindication for Graves, who was exonerated in the murders of six people
and released from a Texas prison five years ago.
Watch Weekend Nightly News at 6:30 tonight for more on this story
Since then, Graves has been traveling the country telling his story, urging
people to press for reforms to the criminal justice system — including the
death penalty.
"I was excited about the opportunity because it lines up with the work I
already do," Graves, 49, told NBC News.
Anthony Graves
Anthony Graves was named to the board of the Houston Forensic Science
Center. He was convicted for the 1992 killings of six people. But he was
later exonerated. Pat Sullivan / AP
That appointment, submitted by Houston Mayor Anise Parker, became
official on Wednesday, when the Houston City Council voted to put him on
the nine-member board, which has replaced the scandal-plagued Houston
Crime Lab.
"Because I was wrongfully convicted, and I know how the system failed, this
appointment allows me to bring a fresh perspective to the board, because I
can tell you about the pitfalls," Graves said.
Graves spent 18 years in prison and was twice given an execution date.
The state wanted to retry him, but the case fell apart, and in 2010 Graves
was released — a free man at long last.
At the same time, the Houston Crime lab was reeling from revelations of
systemic malfeasance. In 2013, Parker and the city council created the
Houston Forensic Science Center, overseen by an independent board of
directors, to take over the $24 million-a-year lab's operations.
DNA evidence frees man who served 34 years in prison
Indiana County man leaves his shackles behind after his murder conviction
is vacated
August 13, 2015
20150813radFogleLocal06-5 Lewis Fogle, with his wife, Deb, after his
released from the State Correctional Institution at Pine Grove Thursday
afternoon. Fogle, who spent 34 years imprisoned for the 1976 murder of a
15-year-old girl, was released after DNA tests proved his was not the
person who committed the crime.
Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette
Lewis Fogle, with his wife, Deb, after his released from the State
Correctional Institution at Pine Grove Thursday afternoon. Fogle, who
spent 34 years imprisoned for the 1976 murder of a 15-year-old girl, was
released after DNA tests proved his was not the person who committed the
crime.
A mere seven minutes was all it took for Lewis Fogle to have his world
returned.
More than half of his 63 years had been spent behind bars, which made the
brevity of the Indiana County Court hearing that freed him from prison
Thursday that much more dynamic.
Following that briefest of legal proceedings, he no longer was Pennsylvania
inmate AP7750, convicted of second-degree murder in 1982 and
sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Instead, for the
first time in 34 years since his arrest in March 1981 when Ronald Reagan
was in his third month as president, he was free.
Senior Judge David Grine of Centre County vacated the conviction of Mr.
Fogle because new DNA evidence excluded him as being the source of
semen found on the body of Deann Katherine Long, 15, of Cherry Tree,
Indiana County. She had been raped and shot in the head in July 1976; her
body was found in a rural area a short distance from her home.
Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty joined in the motion to
vacate the conviction with attorneys for the New York-based Innocence
Project and the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, who represented Mr.
Fogle. Mr. Dougherty said he was duty bound to do so given the new DNA
findings. He has until a hearing Sept. 14 to decide whether other evidence
is enough to prosecute Mr. Fogle again on a second-degree murder
charge in the case.
Mr. Dougherty was quick to draw a distinction between Mr. Fogle, who is on
unsecured bond until the hearing, having “actual innocence” and having his
conviction vacated for lack of evidence.
“[The vacated conviction] doesn’t mean he’s innocent. It simply means
there is not enough evidence to convict. It is a technicality, but it is worth
giving Mr. Fogle his relief,” he said after the hearing.
“Part of my role is to prosecute, but I also have a duty, and I took an oath
not to have somebody in jail that shouldn’t be there.”
Mr. Dougherty said he had spoken to the victim’s family during the process
leading up to the hearing and they understood what was occurring and why.
“The reaction of the family is they are disappointed and have questions and
concerns as would any victim’s family,” he said, but added they understood
that a conviction is only just if evidence backs it up.
David Loftis, managing attorney of the Innocence Project, said he feels it is
unlikely Mr. Dougherty will retry the case. He praised Mr. Dougherty for
joining in the motion to vacate after “recognizing the significance” the DNA
testing excluding Mr. Fogle.
“It was never a strong case. The DNA evidence is pretty powerful, pretty
conclusive,” Mr. Loftis said. “We knew from investigating and speaking with
[Mr. Fogle] that he was absolutely innocent so the question for us was
whether we could prove that objectively with scientific truth and certainty. …
We were able to uncover the evidence that proved his innocence.”
Wearing a red prison jumpsuit, hands and legs shackled to his waist, Mr.
Fogle was calm at the hearing, almost surreally so, given what was at stake
after so long. He stared straight ahead, toward the judge, toward the motto
on the wall that seemed somehow larger than normal: “No man is above the
law and no man is below.”
Six hours later, after he was finally released from state custody, he wore
blue street clothes, no shackles, and a broad smile as he breathed in
freedom for the first time in more than three decades. He said he was
unemotional at the hearing because he just couldn’t believe it was truly
happening.
And, really, after such a long time, how could he?
He was jailed before phones were smart, computers were ubiquitous, and
George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama were
elected as presidents. While he was on the inside, mass shootings at
schools and the attacks of 9/11 happened on the outside. NASA visited all
of the planets, and here on Earth, gay marriage became the law of the
land. And so much more, large and small.
Mr. Fogle said now that he was free, he felt relief and was thankful for the
Innocence Project believing in him and taking up his cause.
“I think when it really sunk in [that I would be freed] was today in the court
room,” he said with his family gathered around him, just outside the State
Correctional Institution at Pine Grove in Indiana County where he was
processed out of the correctional system.
“I never showed emotions yet because I’ve been let down too many times. I
wanted to wait until there was no chance of being let down. ... I couldn’t see
giving up and making people think I was guilty for something I didn’t do.”
His wife, Deb, whom he married three months before his arrest, likewise
never gave up hope. “I love him,” she said.
Mr. Fogle said he wouldn’t call himself bitter, “but I don’t like how I was
arrested and convicted, though.” He pointed in particular to the testimony of
three inmates who testified at his trial that he confessed to them in jail,
which Mr. Fogle said were lies.
Also arrested in the case were his brother, Dennis, and two other men, but
Mr. Fogle was the only person to be tried — charges against two of the
other suspects were dropped for lack of evidence and those against his
brother were dismissed for violating speedy trial rules. One of the other
former suspects has since died.
Mr. Fogle conceded that being free in today’s world is a little overwhelming
for him right now. “I don’t know how to even order a sandwich today. I have
no idea how to run a computer or anything like that. They scare the heck
out of me.”
Dealing with all of that could wait, though. “I would love to get me a steak.”
With freedom, anything’s possible.
Murder Charges Dropped Against Man After 23 Years in
Prison
William Richards was convicted of murdering his wife in 1993.
By Candice Nguyen and Jaspreet Kaur
NBC San Diego
Jul 1, 2016
After spending 23 years behind bars for a crime he says he did not commit, a
Southern California man is now walking free after being exonerated thanks to
students and attorneys from San Diego. NBC 7’s Candice Nguyen reports.
(Published Thursday, June 30, 2016)
A man who spent 23 years in prison walked free on Tuesday after the San
Bernardino District Attorney dismissed all charges against him.
William Richards met students from the California Western School of Law on
Wednesday to thank them for helping get him exonerated.
He was convicted of murdering his wife in 1993 but he has maintained his
innocence for more than 20 years.
“There are no words to describe what I’ve been through,” Richards said.
He told NBC 7 that all those years, he just wanted to prove what happened
and that what kept him going.
“I think it was tenacity and refusing to let them get away with this,” he said.
Richards has had one day of freedom but he’s noticing the years of change
that happened while he was in prison.
“The world has changed,” he said. “I’ve never been on the internet. I’ve
never used a cell phone. I’ve never done any of those things.”
During his original trial, a dental expert influenced his conviction saying a bite
mark on his wife matched Richards. That expert later admitted he had been
wrong but Richards was not released from prison. The California Supreme
Court stated that according to the law, expert testimony cannot be false.
That law was later changed by the San Diego-based California Innocence
Project.
“If we believe someone is innocent, we're going to find a way,” said Justin
Brooks from the California Innocence Project.
Richards has been a client of the California Innocence Project since 1999.
He was granted parole earlier this year by the California Department of
Corrections before the conviction was overturned.
More than 20 students and nearly a dozen lawyers from the California
Innocence Project worked on Richards’ case over the span of 16 years. Their
years of dedication to prove he was innocent paid off on Tuesday when all
charges were dropped against him.
Richards told NBC 7 that the California Innocent Project became his family.
The San Bernardino District Attorney's Office told NBC 7 that they have not
made a final decision on whether they will refile the case.
Prison
William Richards was convicted of murdering his wife in 1993.
By Candice Nguyen and Jaspreet Kaur
NBC San Diego
Jul 1, 2016
After spending 23 years behind bars for a crime he says he did not commit, a
Southern California man is now walking free after being exonerated thanks to
students and attorneys from San Diego. NBC 7’s Candice Nguyen reports.
(Published Thursday, June 30, 2016)
A man who spent 23 years in prison walked free on Tuesday after the San
Bernardino District Attorney dismissed all charges against him.
William Richards met students from the California Western School of Law on
Wednesday to thank them for helping get him exonerated.
He was convicted of murdering his wife in 1993 but he has maintained his
innocence for more than 20 years.
“There are no words to describe what I’ve been through,” Richards said.
He told NBC 7 that all those years, he just wanted to prove what happened
and that what kept him going.
“I think it was tenacity and refusing to let them get away with this,” he said.
Richards has had one day of freedom but he’s noticing the years of change
that happened while he was in prison.
“The world has changed,” he said. “I’ve never been on the internet. I’ve
never used a cell phone. I’ve never done any of those things.”
During his original trial, a dental expert influenced his conviction saying a bite
mark on his wife matched Richards. That expert later admitted he had been
wrong but Richards was not released from prison. The California Supreme
Court stated that according to the law, expert testimony cannot be false.
That law was later changed by the San Diego-based California Innocence
Project.
“If we believe someone is innocent, we're going to find a way,” said Justin
Brooks from the California Innocence Project.
Richards has been a client of the California Innocence Project since 1999.
He was granted parole earlier this year by the California Department of
Corrections before the conviction was overturned.
More than 20 students and nearly a dozen lawyers from the California
Innocence Project worked on Richards’ case over the span of 16 years. Their
years of dedication to prove he was innocent paid off on Tuesday when all
charges were dropped against him.
Richards told NBC 7 that the California Innocent Project became his family.
The San Bernardino District Attorney's Office told NBC 7 that they have not
made a final decision on whether they will refile the case.
Indiana settles DCS, State Police lawsuit for $25M
Marisa Kwiatkowski , marisa.kwiatkowski@indystar.com Published 3:16 p.m. ET May
25, 2017 | Updated 6:44 p.m. ET May 26, 2017
State officials have agreed to pay $25 million to an Indiana family "destroyed" by
accusations that the parents had caused their 14-year-old daughter's death.
Roman and Lynnette Finnegan and their children sued several Indiana Department of
Child Services workers and the Indiana State Police in 2008, claiming their
constitutional rights had been violated.
In a statement Thursday, Chief Counsel of Appeals Stephen Creason, of the Indiana
attorney general's office, said state officials continue to deny any "fault, wrongdoing
or liability."
"This settlement has been reached solely to avoid the uncertainties of litigation and
the expenses, which have been and will be incurred in the prosecution and/or defense
of this matter,” Creason said.
In 2015, a federal court jury in Hammond determined that three DCS employees, an
Indiana State Police detective and a doctor had violated the family's constitutional
rights. The jury found those officials had sabotaged investigations into the girl's death
and retaliated against the couple for complaining about how they were treated.
The jury awarded a $31 million judgment.
The Indiana attorney general's office filed an appeal last fall, asking the 7th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals to review several decisions made in the case, including the
jury's verdict and the federal judge's denial of motions for summary judgment and to
reduce the amount awarded by the jury.
Lynnette Finnegan's 14-year-old daughter, Jessica Salyer,
died at home in 2005 from "a major prescription error" made
by her family doctor, "combined with her medical conditions,
which included congenital heart disease and a seizure
disorder," according to the lawsuit filed in 2008.
DCS and state police suspected Lynnette and Roman Finnegan of killing the girl, court
records state. DCS removed two of the Finnegans' other children from their home, sta
te police arrested the couple and the prosecutor charged them with neglect.
After a yearslong ordeal, the criminal charges were dismissed and a judge unsubstanti
ated the allegations of neglect.
The lawsuit named Laurel Myers, then-director of the DCS office in Pulaski County; Re
gina McAninch, a former DCS family case manager; Reba James, then a DCS regional
manager; Jennifer McDonald, an Indiana State Police detective; and Dr. Antoinette
Laskey, a pediatrician and former chair of the Indiana State Child Fatality Revie
w Team. The lawsuit also named two other DCS officials, who were cleared of wro
ngdoing.
Marisa Kwiatkowski , marisa.kwiatkowski@indystar.com Published 3:16 p.m. ET May
25, 2017 | Updated 6:44 p.m. ET May 26, 2017
State officials have agreed to pay $25 million to an Indiana family "destroyed" by
accusations that the parents had caused their 14-year-old daughter's death.
Roman and Lynnette Finnegan and their children sued several Indiana Department of
Child Services workers and the Indiana State Police in 2008, claiming their
constitutional rights had been violated.
In a statement Thursday, Chief Counsel of Appeals Stephen Creason, of the Indiana
attorney general's office, said state officials continue to deny any "fault, wrongdoing
or liability."
"This settlement has been reached solely to avoid the uncertainties of litigation and
the expenses, which have been and will be incurred in the prosecution and/or defense
of this matter,” Creason said.
In 2015, a federal court jury in Hammond determined that three DCS employees, an
Indiana State Police detective and a doctor had violated the family's constitutional
rights. The jury found those officials had sabotaged investigations into the girl's death
and retaliated against the couple for complaining about how they were treated.
The jury awarded a $31 million judgment.
The Indiana attorney general's office filed an appeal last fall, asking the 7th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals to review several decisions made in the case, including the
jury's verdict and the federal judge's denial of motions for summary judgment and to
reduce the amount awarded by the jury.
Lynnette Finnegan's 14-year-old daughter, Jessica Salyer,
died at home in 2005 from "a major prescription error" made
by her family doctor, "combined with her medical conditions,
which included congenital heart disease and a seizure
disorder," according to the lawsuit filed in 2008.
DCS and state police suspected Lynnette and Roman Finnegan of killing the girl, court
records state. DCS removed two of the Finnegans' other children from their home, sta
te police arrested the couple and the prosecutor charged them with neglect.
After a yearslong ordeal, the criminal charges were dismissed and a judge unsubstanti
ated the allegations of neglect.
The lawsuit named Laurel Myers, then-director of the DCS office in Pulaski County; Re
gina McAninch, a former DCS family case manager; Reba James, then a DCS regional
manager; Jennifer McDonald, an Indiana State Police detective; and Dr. Antoinette
Laskey, a pediatrician and former chair of the Indiana State Child Fatality Revie
w Team. The lawsuit also named two other DCS officials, who were cleared of wro
ngdoing.